It’s been played over and over again by now. The large amount of “boos” Ron Paul received after the announcement of the results of the CPAC Straw Poll where he won with 31% of the vote. Not much has been explained about how or why someone who got this kind of support would be booed like he was. Here is my take.

These are the facts, I know because I was there.

Ron Paul’s keynote speech on Friday was the first speech in the main room to pack the house and require overflow seating in other rooms. He was welcomed with cheers as can be witnessed by watching the video of his speech. His supporters (31% apparently) had a chance to get into the main room to hear his speech.

Saturday, the Campaign For Liberty held a panel discussion that began at 2pm and didn’t end until nearly 4pm. By this time the line waiting to get into the main room was 8-10 deep and down the long hotel hallway. When I left the Campaign for Liberty panel I overheard a volunteer telling people in line that they would likely not get into the main room and should instead find an overflow room to watch the event.

CPAC sells Saturday-only tickets. A co-worker and his wife took advantage of this so they could see Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, and Glenn Beck. Many people, apparently, took advantage of this which left those that attended the conference all 3 days in overflow rooms.

Those that came on Saturday were not able to vote in the straw poll. The polling ended on Friday at 1pm.

So, those that were in the main ballroom during the straw poll announcement were mostly unfriendly to Ron Paul. I didn’t even know there were boos when they announced the results because in the overflow room I was in there were mostly cheers and clapping drowning out the boos from the main room.

It makes for a good story for the media, pointing out the boos, but if the room was full of Ron Paul supporters and Mitt Romney (or someone else) had won there would have been a large number of boos at the results.

Please note, I’m not suggesting that Ron Paul supporters were blocked from the main room on purpose. It’s just the way it ended up due to the logistics of so many people coming to CPAC on Saturday to listen to Glenn Beck, Coulter, and Gingrich. Most of these people were neo-conservatives antithetical to Ron Paul’s foreign policy of non-intervention who did not and could not vote in the straw poll.

It’s safe to say that if the panel at 2pm by the Campaign For Liberty called “Why Real Conservatives are Against the War on Terrorism” were held in the main room, the cheers would have drowned out the boos when the poll results were announced. Of course, Judging from the boos in the main room, there may have been a mutiny if the anti-war panel were held there.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

Responses

I also think that a lot of people who came for the whole weekend probably needed to leave before the conference concluded. Sunday flights that get you home in time to be ready for work or school Monday morning don't tend to leave on Sunday night.

I believe your interpretation is an excellent example of how far detached the Republican and Democrats ( Neo Socialist) are from the general population in America. You spin everything to you benefit and will not realize the truth. The American public does not like any of the individuals that the Republicans or Democrats are offering. I feel it is time to vote them out and lets try new people. If we can't get them in one election, we can get them multiple elections. This is our best option!

I also think that a lot of people who came for the whole weekend probably needed to leave before the conference concluded. Sunday flights that get you home in time to be ready for work or school Monday morning don't tend to leave on Sunday night.

I also think that a lot of people who came for the whole weekend probably needed to leave before the conference concluded. Sunday flights that get you home in time to be ready for work or school Monday morning don't tend to leave on Sunday night.

What "new people" do you speak of? Some kind of benevolent mutants that actually believe in the Constitution?

Someone like… Ron Paul? Parties are labels that don't fit very well on some. Ron Paul is one. There are others, but if the media mantra continues being "He can't win" then the public at large will accept that. In a way, the media fixes elections by proxy.

What "new people" do you speak of? Some kind of benevolent mutants that actually believe in the Constitution?

Someone like… Ron Paul? Parties are labels that don't fit very well on some. Ron Paul is one. There are others, but if the media mantra continues being "He can't win" then the public at large will accept that. In a way, the media fixes elections by proxy.

What "new people" do you speak of? Some kind of benevolent mutants that actually believe in the Constitution?

Someone like… Ron Paul? Parties are labels that don't fit very well on some. Ron Paul is one. There are others, but if the media mantra continues being "He can't win" then the public at large will accept that. In a way, the media fixes elections by proxy.

So why did the people boo before the announcment was made? How would they know who won? I smell a rat. My guess is this, the CPAC folks spread around the message that Ron Paul was going to win and shuttled people into the main room to boo when the announcement came. It was a staged event, or as Pelosi says an Astroturf response.

I have to take exception to Harold's comment – I think this post gives some excellent "back story" information that was completely ignored or overlooked in the MSM's coverage of the CPAC poll announcement. I think you've presented it in a very even-handed, non-emotional way, and I thank you for the information.

I have to take exception to Harold's comment – I think this post gives some excellent "back story" information that was completely ignored or overlooked in the MSM's coverage of the CPAC poll announcement. I think you've presented it in a very even-handed, non-emotional way, and I thank you for the information.

I consider myself a social and economic conservative, not a Republican. The GOP is stagnant offering the same uninspiring candidates. The GOP holds onto the same stale ideas and ignores the wishes of its party members. So, should it be any surprise it's dying? If anything, it should be gaining enormous momentum and embracing true conservatism. Where's the next Ronald Reagan? For me, that man is Ron Paul – a man of character, wisdom and knowledge. God bless and guide OUR nation…

I consider myself a social and economic conservative, not a Republican. The GOP is stagnant offering the same uninspiring candidates. The GOP holds onto the same stale ideas and ignores the wishes of its party members. So, should it be any surprise it's dying? If anything, it should be gaining enormous momentum and embracing true conservatism. Where's the next Ronald Reagan? For me, that man is Ron Paul – a man of character, wisdom and knowledge. God bless and guide OUR nation…

[...] It was so stupid that Ron Paul won the CPAC straw poll. It was obviously rigged by his Campaign For Liberty organization and they were all young people anyway. Everyone knows the future of the GOP will come from the old people! At least the results of the poll were booed loudly which just proves that I’m right. [...]

I've analyzed it a lot. The boo footage was from 2010, there's no doubt about it. Even the podium is different in the boo segments. You can even find the 2010 footage on youtube that looks exactly the same and sounds the same.
Here's a side by side comparison. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwo0Iyrh1Zk&fe…

I've analyzed it a lot. The boo footage was from 2010, there's no doubt about it. Even the podium is different in the boo segments. You can even find the 2010 footage on youtube that looks exactly the same and sounds the same.
Here's a side by side comparison. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwo0Iyrh1Zk&fe…

I've analyzed it a lot. The boo footage was from 2010, there's no doubt about it. Even the podium is different in the boo segments. You can even find the 2010 footage on youtube that looks exactly the same and sounds the same.
Here's a side by side comparison. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwo0Iyrh1Zk&fe…

I've analyzed it a lot. The boo footage was from 2010, there's no doubt about it. Even the podium is different in the boo segments. You can even find the 2010 footage on youtube that looks exactly the same and sounds the same.
Here's a side by side comparison. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwo0Iyrh1Zk&fe…

I've analyzed it a lot. The boo footage was from 2010, there's no doubt about it. Even the podium is different in the boo segments. You can even find the 2010 footage on youtube that looks exactly the same and sounds the same.
Here's a side by side comparison. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwo0Iyrh1Zk&fe…

I've analyzed it a lot. The boo footage was from 2010, there's no doubt about it. Even the podium is different in the boo segments. You can even find the 2010 footage on youtube that looks exactly the same and sounds the same.
Here's a side by side comparison. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwo0Iyrh1Zk&fe…